Glass and aluminum office building facades - a symbol of the modern city.
From the series "Modern office buildings - trends 2020".
Facades of skyscrapers made of glass and aluminum have already become part of the landscape of Polish cities for good. One of the leading manufacturers that provides systems for the implementation of the most technologically advanced buildings is ALUPROF. The Polish company's offer meets all the requirements of energy-efficient and passive construction. Its wide range of facade profiles is a response to growing market demand.
ALUPROF facades: Wroclavia, Wrocław, design: IMB ASYMETRIA
© ALUPROF
Facades of modern skyscrapers are extremely modern curtain walls made of aluminum profile systems. They allow the construction of glazed facades of public buildings, and are also used to make spatial structures and roof glazing that provide a unique climate and comfort for users. More and more often they are also used in modern single-family houses.
Post-and-beam facades
Glass-aluminum facades, thanks to unlimited freedom of design, allow the realization of bold visions of designers. Particularly popular are aluminum post-and-beam facades.
What is a post-and-beam facade?
It is a facade constructed of lightweight curtain walls made of special aluminum profiles and glass. It is characterized by a high coefficient of thermal insulation, which minimizes heat loss. Thanks to its resistance to water, wind and impact, as well as its high level of soundproofing, it also works well in noisy city centers.
ALUPROF facades - MB-TT50 system: Alchemia, Gdansk, design: APA Wojciechowski
© ALUPROF
Types of post-and-beam facades
Among mullion and transom facades, ALUPROF's most technologically advanced construction is the MB-TT50 system. The company has applied an innovative approach to the construction of profiles and accessories responsible for tightness and thermal insulation, as well as to the installation technology. Confirmation of this thesis is provided by the realizations in which the MB-TT50 system was used - suffice it to mention Alchemia in Gdansk, a prestigious office building that received the highest passive construction certificate: LEED Platinum.
ALUPROF facades: Museum of the Second World War, Gdańsk, proj.: B. Domsta, J. Droszcz, Z. Kowalewski, A. Kwieciński with team
© ALUPROF
ALUPROF MB-TT50 and MB-SR50N HI+ mullion and transom facade systems are the few in the world to be certified by the PHI Darmstadt Institute in the highest class A+, which is why they are recommended for constructing large glazed facades in energy-efficient and passive buildings. These systems can be admired on the facade of The Apex in London, the World War II Museum in Gdansk, and the City Gate office building in Lodz, among others.
ALUPROF facades: Gate of the City, Lodz, proj.: Medusa Group
© ALUPROF
Unlimited design possibilities
Today's solutions allow architects to be bold and daring in design. The most respected architectural firms in the country and the world base the construction of building facades on ALUPROF systems. The comprehensiveness of the available solutions and the company's readiness to adapt the product to the client's expectations drive the company's development and open up further possibilities in design.
MB-SR50N HI+ high thermal insulating mullion and transom wall
© ALUPROF
Experts from the Aluprof team have developed an innovative "mullion-transom" connection in the MB-SR50N facade distinguished by its high load capacity - 1100 kg per transom. Another important functionality is the ability to create broken walls with connections between modules up to ± 7.5° per side and the construction of facades deviated from the vertical by an angle of ± 10°.
MB-SR60N EFEKT semi-structural mullion and transom facade
© ALUPROF
ALUPROF's latest solution from this segment is the MB-SR60N facade. The system was initially the basis for custom-designed solutions and the most demanding realizations, such as the Mint Legacy Tower (with MB-SR60N MLT) or the American 61 Ninth Avenue(MB-SR60NY), and is now in the standard offer.
ALUPROF facades: Mint Legacy Tower, Warsaw, proj.: Goettsch Partners
© ALUPROF
The MB-SR60N facade makes it possible to give buildings fancy forms with very fashionable large glazing. The installation of fillings is carried out on the principle of attaching the glass to the aluminum structure. The system is also available in HI and Effect versions, in which, thanks to the use of a special system of attaching the glass to the mullions and transoms, we obtain from the outside a uniform image of a smooth glass wall divided by a structure of lines filled with a special binder, 24 mm wide. A facade made using this technique can be seen, among others, on the KTW office building in Katowice, Wrocław's Wroclavia gallery and the Hilton hotel in Kiev.
ALUPROF facades: Hilton hotel, Kiev, proj.: Seifert Architects LLC KYIW
© ALUPROF
Alternative facade types
In addition to mullion and transom variants, elemental facade systems are gaining popularity.
What is an elemental facade system?
The purpose of such systems is for individual building projects, where quick installation and elimination of external scaffolding are important. This method is sometimes the only way out during construction in crowded city centers and also at high buildings
ALUPROF offers several such systems: from MB-SE80, MB-SE85 to MB-SE155. The construction of an elemental facade consists of segments fastened to the building's load-bearing structure and connected between each other, and prefabrication of the elements takes place in the production workshop. These facades have been used in prestigious projects including the Mint Legacy Tower in Warsaw(MB-SE80 MLT), the LIC Marriott in New York(MB-SE80 SG) and the second largest residential building in Manhattan, 125 Greenwich Street(MB-SE98 SG).
ALUPROF facades: 125 Greenwich Street, New York, design: Rafael Vinoly Architects PC
© ALUPROF
Facade overlay system - characteristics
The MB-SR50N A overlay system is another facade variant, in which the aluminum profile is attached to wood or steel profiles with fasteners. The system can be used in both vertical structures and glass roofs, which means that its advantages have been used in many public buildings, such as shopping malls(Kaskada Szczecin, Malta in Poznan) and railway stations(Wroclaw Główny, Lodz Fabryczna).
ALUPROF facades: Green2Day, Wroclaw, proj.: MAĆKÓW PRACOWNIA PROJEKTOWA
© ALUPROF
Safe and aesthetic facades - fire resistance
ALUPROF aluminum facades can also act as a barrier against the spread of smoke and fire. MB-SR50N EI and MB-SR50N EI EFEKT mullion and transom facades are designed to make lightweight fire curtain walls. These systems are visually no different from standard MB-SR50N facade solutions and do not disturb the smooth glass design of buildings. MB-SR50N EI and MB-SR50N EI EFEKT systems are available in fire resistance classes from EI 30 to EI 60 and can be used to organize so-called fire zones in buildings. In combination with aluminum fire doors (e.g. MB-78EI), they provide adequate conditions for evacuation of people. These solutions can be seen in many different projects, including the award-winning Object of the Year in Aluprof systems 2018, i.e. Green2Day in Wroclaw.
For more information, visit the company's website ALUPROF SA on the A&B portal.
